Humpy Wheeler: We got too fancy and messed up NASCAR: One of the
most recognizable names in NASCAR says the sport is all messed up and in
the need of changes and a serious boost. In a video posted on YouTube
on Sunday, "Humpy" Wheeler says racing has gotten "too fancy" and left
its fans behind. Wheeler is the former President and General Manager of
the Lowes Motor Speedway, in Concord, and is known as one of the
foremost promoters in NASCAR history. He now runs The Wheeler Company, a
consulting management firm focusing on general business, professional
sports, and motorsports. He says he's thought long and hard about what
is wrong with NASCAR these days. "I think we've messed it up a little,
folks. I think we got too fancy," he said in the video. "I think as it
soared back in the 90's a lot of people wanted to change it. They didn't
like the way it was, they thought it was too country or too
unsophisticated or whatever. And those people were dead wrong."
"We need to put the emphasis on winning. And we need to put the emphasis
on leading and passing people as the race progresses. Give points for
the repass [...] People in the grandstand are gonna go crazy when we do
that." He suggests that NASCAR give winners and leaders bigger bonuses.
He says that will make races more exciting and that will bring fans
back to the track. He says increases in the quality of TV broadcasting
has hurt in-person attendance. "You've got to give them a reason to
come back to the ballpark - whether the ballpark is a racetrack or
whether it's stadium. Gotta give them a reason to come back. Part of
that reason is excitement. That's the whole reason!"(in part from WBTV.com and view the video there)(8-14-2013)
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